Helped by Curtailed Marketing, Sony Now Expects ‘The Interview’ to Break Even
“The Interview,” the comedy that Sony Pictures temporarily pulled from theaters, is doing well enough from online sales and rentals to recoup the millions of dollars spent on the film, a person close to the studio said.
Most of the $36 million in sales through Jan. 6 have come online. The studio, part of Tokyo-based Sony Corp., keeps 70% to 80% of those purchases, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private financial data.
“The Interview” also is being released in cinemas internationally. Plans are under way for a DVD and subscription streaming, CEO Michael Lynton said. The online release isn’t a model for the future, he said, labeling it “an exception.” Fans packing the few cinemas that showed the film reaffirmed Mr. Lynton’s confidence in the current theatrical model, where a movie opens on the big screen and then goes to home video.
